Sunday, April 16, 2017

Review: The Rise of Miss Notley by Rachael Anderson

My rating: 4 stars / I really liked it

Synopsis

To escape an undesirable match, Miss Notley must give up her riches for rags.

When
Miss Coralynn Notley’s father barters her off to the first titled
gentleman to come along, she realizes she must flee her home or be
forced to wed a despicable man. Driven by desperation, she applies for
the position of housekeeper at Tanglewood Manor, the home of the
handsome Mr. Jonathan Ludlow.

The moment Jonathan sees Miss
Notley, he is intrigued. She is far too young and inexperienced, yet
there is something about her that that inspires a certain hope within
him. Does he dare offer her the position of housekeeper or will doing so
result in catastrophe?

My Review

This was such a pleasure to read! I loved the Regency England setting, and the characters were fresh and really came to life. The plot was a bit predictable but that didn't detract from my enjoyment. I loved learning more about the role of a housekeeper along with Coralynn and the fascinating details- who knew that they had to grind their own sugar? Jonathan reminds me quite a bit of Mr. Rochester from Jane Eyre (sans hidden wife) with his moodiness and cynicism. He admires the honesty of Coralynn above her lack of experience and the warmth she brings to the household makes him yearn for her. She is frustratingly stubborn in her stance that working will bring her more freedom than marriage and is out to prove that she can stand on her own two feet. Lots of emotion, some arguments, kissing, compromises, and surprises eventually lead the two past the obstacles preventing a union between a housekeeper and a gentleman.

(I received a complimentary copy of the book; all opinions in this review are my own)

Don't miss the first book in the Tanglewood series! (The books each stand alone and don't have to be read in order)

When
Colin Cavendish, the new earl of Drayson, informs Lucy Beresford that
she and her mother need to vacate the house they've called home for the
past two years, Lucy is fit to be tied. They have no money, no relations
they can turn to for help, and nowhere to go. How dare the earl break
the promise his father had made to the Beresfords without so much as a
twinge of conscience?

Fate plays her hand when Lucy discovers the
earl unconscious and injured in the middle of the road. When he awakens
with no recollection of who he is, Lucy seizes the opportunity to teach
the earl a much-needed lesson in humility and tells him that he is
nothing more than a mere servant. Her servant, in fact.

And thus
begins the charming tale of a pompous lord and an impetuous young
woman, caught together in a web so tangled that it begs the question:
Will they ever get out?

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